In a near-future world, unpartnered people are given 45 days to find a mate – or they’re turned into the animal of their choice. As time runs out, singles subtly, then not so subtly compete for partners, their survival instincts kicking in.

Meanwhile, a band of rebels headed by the coolly observant Léa Seydoux offers an alternative that’s just as repressive.

Wildly imaginative and gorgeous to look at, Lanthimos’s film maintains his trademark deadpan tone, and his actors, among them Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, John C. Reilly and Ben Whishaw, find ways to inhabit their characters without winking at the audience.

Special mention goes to the chamber music soundtrack that’s like a character all its own.